Edward m



(No Model.)

B. M. BENTLEY.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY CONTACT.

No. 400,179. Patented Mar. 26, 1889.

W/ T/VESSES UNITED STATES EDW'ARD M. BENTLEY,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF NElV YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC-RAI LWAY CONTACT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,179, dated March 26, 1889.

Serial No. 282,342. (No model.)

To to whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD M. BENTLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Railway Contacts, of which the following is a specification. 7

My invention relates to electric railways in which the contact device is inclosed in a slotted conduit beneath the surface of the roadway, and especially to that form in which the conduit is outside the track.

It has been found necessary in such cases that the contact device shall have freedom of transverse movement completely across the vehicle for the purpose of switching, while for curves and emergencies it should have a still greater range of movement, reaching a point outside the vehicle considerably beyond the normal position when in operation. To meet these conditions, I have devised a contact device which has a guide extending beyond the wheel of the car for the normal operation of the contact device, but capable of a further extension in case of necessity. I have also devised other details of construction in connection therewith, as will be hereinafter explained.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my contact device with the guide in section. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the contact device with the guide in elevation reaching beyond the wheel. Fig. 3 is a diagram of the electrical connection, and Fig. 4 is a detail of the mechanism for turning the guide.

In the drawings,A represents a contact device or plow of a well-known type, by which electrical connection is maintained with supply-conductors in a slotted conduit.

B is a traveler, to which the plow is attached.

O is a transverse guide extending across the car a sufficient distance to normally permit the plow A to travel in the conduit outside the track.

Within guide C there is an intern'lcdiate guide or traveler, D, upon which traveler B immediately rests. Traveler B is provided with rollers E, so that it moves upon D with much more freedom than D moves upon 0.

There is also a stop, F,'upon one side of D, which limits its outward movement in one direction, and a stop, G, upon the other side, which limits its movement in the opposite direction when it has passed over to the opposite end of C. A spring, K, serves to bringD back to a normal position after it has been moved outward by a curve in the track or other emergencyas, for instance, when the car has accidentally left the track.

The traveler B of the contact device A has normally a limited transverse movement in the support or guide D, which compensates for all minor irregularities in the line of the slot. lVhen, however, movements of greater range are required of the contact device, the traveler B strikes against the end of support D, and then both the contact device and support slide together along guide 0. It will thus be seen that there are two independent sliding connections between the contact device and car, permitting different ranges of movement, and that the ends of support D act as stops H H for the independent movement of traveler B.

. The primary guide 0 is suspended from the frame of the vehicle by a transverse axis, L, and is normally held vertical by a springcatch, M, adapted to give way when an abnormal obstruction is encountered, so that the plow may be turned up out of the conduit without injury. For positively turning up the plow, a segment, 0, Fig. 4, is attached to guide 0, and from this segment ropes P extend to opposite ends of the vehicle. To provide for the maintenance of the electrical connection with the plow as it moves across the vehicle, Iprovide a conductor-slide consisting of a split tube, Q, of brass or other conducting material, which is attached to but insulated from the frame of the vehicle and connected with the propelling-motor. \Vithin this tube Q is a slidingtraveler, R, from which a flexible conductor, S, leads to the plow. The flexible conductor S allows the mechanical guide to move relatively to the conductor-slide,which is fixed upon the vehicle, and at its upper free end the conductor is provided with a springjack fitting into an eye in traveler R. Therefore when the plow moves from side to side of the vehicle the traveler R moves in tube Q just as the traveler D moves in guide 0, and

the electrical connection is thereby maintai 11 ed whatever the position of the plow, while by having the spring-jack connection at the upper end of the conductor rather than at the point Where it joins the contact-plow the electrical connection is preserved from the mud which might otherwise be thrown upon it by the plow and wheels.

In Fig. I have shown a. diagram of two plows, each having two electrical connections with transverse electrical guides, as above described, the electrical connection leading therefrom to the propelling-motor, as indicated.

hat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination, with an electricallypropelled vehicle, of a contact device leading to a supply-conductor in a conduit outside of the track, and a transverse guide for said contact device permitting a normal movement thereof, but having an extension permitting an abnormal movement of the contact device.

2. The combination, in an electric railway,

.with an electrically-propelled vehicle, of a contact device for maintaining traveling elect-ri cal connection with a supply-conductor inclosed in a conduit outside the track, and a movable guide, upon which said contact device moves, having an abnormal transverse movement, and provided with a retractile spring for restoring it to its normal position.

3. The combination, with an electricallypropelled vehicle, of a contact device for maintaining the electrical. connection with asupply-conduetor inclosed in a conduit outside the track, a primary transverse guide therefor, and a secondary intermediate guide upon which the contact device moves.

l. The combination, with an electricallypropelled vehicle, of a contact device for maintaining the electrical connection with a supply-conductor inclosed in a conduit, a transverse mechanical guide for said contact device, and a transverse insulated electrical. guide, with which the conductor of the said contact device has a traveling connection.

The combination, with an electricallypropelled vehicle, of a transversely-movable contact device for maintaining traveling electrical connection with a supply-conductor inclosed in a conduit outside the track, and a transverse insulated electrical guide connected to the propelling-motor, wit-h which the conductor of the contact device has traveling connection.

ti. The combination of an electrically-propelled vehicle, a contact device for engagement with the supply'conductt)r, and a mechanical connection between the contact device and vehicle, permitting movement of the contact device relative to the vehicle, with an electrical conductor leading to the contact device and having a detachable connection at its free end, with aconductor upon the vehicle in circuit with the propelling-motor.

'4. The comlnnation,with an electrically propelled vehicle, of a supply-conductor below the vehicle, a contact device for engagement therewith, mechanically connected to the vehicle and movable relatively thereto, and a flexible electrical conductor leading to the contact device and having at its upper free end a spring-jack connection with the conductor upon. the vehicle.

8. The combination, with an electrically.

propelled vehicle, of a contact device maintaining electrical connection with a supplyconductor inclosed in a slotted conduit, a moving transverse guide for said contact device, a segment upon said guide, and an actuating-rope wound upon said segment.

9. The combination, with an electricallypropelled vehicle, of a contact device maintaining electrical coinlection with a conductor inclosed in a conduit, and a transverselymovable guide on which said contact device travels.

10. The combination, with an electricallypropelled vehicle and a supply-eonductor, of a contact device for maintaining electrical connection with said conductor, and a movable guide upon which said contact device movcs, havin an abnormal transverse move ment, and provided with a retractile spring for restoring it to its normal position.

11. The cmnbination ot the contact device and two independent sliding connections between the contact device and vehicle, permitting different ranges ot' movement.

12. In an electric railway, the combination of the primary transverse guide and a support engaging said guide, with a contact device having a transverselytraveling connection with said support.

13. The combination, in an electric railway, of a vehicle with a contact device extending into a slotted conduit for ei'igagement with the sup1 )ly-conductor therein, and two transversely traveling connections between. the contact device and vehicle, one having a longer range oi' movement than the other.

1i. In an electric railway, the combination of a support traveling along suitable guides, with a contact device for engagement withv the supply-conductor, inclosed in a conduit connected with, and having an independent movement relative to said. support, and stops for limiting this latter movement.

15. The combination, in an electric railway, of a vehicle, a support having sliding bearings permitting movement in a horizontal plane, and a contact device having a transversely-traveling connection with. said support and in engagement with the supply-conductor.

16. The combination, in an electric railway, of a vehicle, a support having sliding bearings peri'nitting movement in a horizontal plane, and a contact device having a transversely-traveling connection with said support and in engagement with the supply-conductor housed in the s otted conduit.

17. In an electric railway, the combination TTO of a vehicle and a contact device for engagement with a supply-conductor housed in a slotted conduit, with a support for the contact device outside the conduit and connected to the vehicle in such a manner as to be movable relative thereto, and a connection between the contact device and the support, allowing a limited lateral movement between the two, whereby slight irregularities of move ment may be compensated by the independent movement of the contact device.

18. In an electric railway, the combination of a vehicle and a contact device for engagement with a supply-conductor inclosed in a slotted conduit, with an intermediate support between the vehicle and the contact device, and connections permitting lateral movement between the vehicle and support and the support and contact device, respectively, whereby movement of the contact device either alone or with the support allows for irregularities in the line of the conduit.

19. The combination, with an electricallypropelled vehicle, of a contact device for engagement with the supply-conductor movable relatively to the vehicle, an independent conductor-guide, and a traveler moving therealong and in circuit with the contact device.

20. The combination of the contact device having a transversely-sliding connection with an electrically-propelled vehicle, an independent conductor-guide, a traveler moving therealong, and a flexible electrical connection between the contact device and traveler.

21. The combination, with a transverse conductor-guide upon a vehicle and a traveler therefor, of a contact device movable relatively to the vehicle and extending into a slotted conduit for engagement with the sup- 22. The combination, with an insulated conductor-guide upon an electrically-propelled vehicle and a traveler therefor, of a supplyconductor, a contact device movable relatively to the vehicle, and a flexible electrical c011- nection between the contact device and traveler.

23. The combination of a contact device having a transversely-movable connection with an electrically-propelled vehicle, with an independent conductor extending along in proximity to the path of movement of the said contact device, and a traveler in circuit with the contact device and moving in contact with the said conductor.

24L. The combinatiomwitha movable transverse guide upon an electrically-propelled vehicle, and a contact device having a traveling connection therewith, of a fixed conductorslide, a traveler therefor in circuit with the contact device, and a yielding electrical connection between the traveler and contact de vice, permitting movement of the contact device into and out of operative position.

25. The combination, in an electrically-propelled vehicle, with a transverse mechanical guide extending beyond the car-wheel, and a contact device movable along said guide, of a conductor-slide terminating at a point be tween the wheels, a traveler therefor, and a flexible electrical connection between the traveler and contact device.

EDWARD M. BENTLEY.

Witnesses:

JULIEN M ELLIOT,

EDWARD S. MCKINNEY. 

